OSHA Office of Training and Education 1
MachineMachine Guarding Guarding
OSHA Office of Training and Education 2
IntroductionIntroduction
Crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness -
the list of possible machinery-related injuries is as long
as it is horrifying. Safeguards are essential for protecting
workers from needless and preventable injuries.
A good rule to remember is: Any machine part, function,
or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded.
Where the operation of a machine can injure the
operator or other workers, the hazard must be controlled
or eliminated.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 3
Causes of Machine AccidentsCauses of Machine Accidents
Reaching in to “clear” equipment
Not using Lockout/Tagout
Unauthorized persons doing maintenance or
using the machines
Missing or loose machine guards
OSHA Office of Training and Education 4
Where Mechanical Hazards OccurWhere Mechanical Hazards Occur
Point of operation
All parts of the machine which move, such as:
flywheels, pulleys, belts, couplings, chains,
cranks, gears, etc.
tfeed mechanisms and auxiliary parts of the
machine
In-running nip points
OSHA Office of Training and Education 5
Point of OperationPoint of Operation
That point where work is performed on the
material, such as cutting, shaping, boring,
or forming of stock must be guarded.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 6
Rotating PartsRotating Parts
OSHA Office of Training and Education 7
In-Running Nip PointsIn-Running Nip Points
Belt and
pulley
Chain and
sprocket
Rack and
pinion
Rotating
cylinders
OSHA Office of Training and Education 8
Requirements for SafeguardsRequirements for Safeguards
Prevent contact - prevent worker’s body or clothing from
contacting hazardous moving parts
Secure - firmly secured to machine and not easily
removed
Protect from falling objects - ensure that no objects can
fall into moving parts
Create no new hazards - must not have shear points,
jagged edges or unfinished surfaces
Create no interference - must not prevent worker from
performing the job quickly and comfortably
Allow safe lubrication - if possible, be able to lubricate the
machine without removing the safeguards
OSHA Office of Training and Education 9
Methods of Machine SafeguardingMethods of Machine Safeguarding
Guards
Sfixed
Sinterlocked
Sadjustable
Sself-adjusting
Devices
Spresence sensing
Spullback
Srestraint
Ssafety controls (tripwire
cable, two-hand contol, etc.)
cgates
Location/distance
Feeding and ejection methods
tautomatic and/or semi-
automatic feed and
ejection
nrobots
Miscellaneous aids
dawareness barriers
rprotective shields
dhand-feeding tools
OSHA Office of Training and Education 10
Fixed GuardFixed Guard
Provides a barrier - a permanent part of the
machine, preferable to all other types of guards.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 11
Interlocked GuardInterlocked Guard
When this type of guard is opened or removed, the
tripping mechanism and/or power automatically
shuts off or disengages, and the machine cannot
cycle or be started until the guard is back in place.
Interlocked
guard on
revolving drum
OSHA Office of Training and Education 12
Adjustable GuardAdjustable Guard
Provides a barrier which may be adjusted to
facilitate a variety of production operations.
Bandsaw blade
adjustable guard
OSHA Office of Training and Education 13
Self-Adjusting GuardSelf-Adjusting Guard
Provides a barrier which moves according to
the size of the stock entering the danger area.
Circular table saw
self-adjusting guard
OSHA Office of Training and Education 14
Pullback DevicePullback Device
Utilizes a series of cables
attached to the operator’s
hands, wrists, and/or arms
Primarily used on machines
with stroking action
Allows access to the point of
operation when the
slide/ram is up
Withdraws hands when the
slide/ram begins to descend
OSHA Office of Training and Education 15
Pullback Device Pullback Device (cont’d)(cont’d)
Hands in die, feeding
Point of operation exposed
Pullback device attached
and properly adjusted
Die closed
Hands withdrawn from point
of operation by pullback
device
OSHA Office of Training and Education 16
Restraint DeviceRestraint Device
Uses cables or straps
attached to the operator’s
hands and a fixed point
Must be adjusted to let the
operator’s hands travel
within a predetermined
safe area
Hand-feeding tools are often
necessary if the operation
involves placing material
into the danger area
OSHA Office of Training and Education 17
Safety Tripwire CablesSafety Tripwire Cables
Device located around
the perimeter of or
near the danger area
Operator must be able to
reach the cable to
stop the machine
OSHA Office of Training and Education 18
Two-Hand ControlTwo-Hand Control
Requires constant,
concurrent pressure to
activate the machine
The operator’s hands are
required to be at a safe
location (on control
buttons) and at a safe
distance from the danger
area while the machine
completes its closing cycle
OSHA Office of Training and Education 19
GateGate
Movable barrier device which protects the operator at the
point of operation before the machine cycle can be
started
If the gate does not fully close, machine will not function
Gate Open Gate Closed
OSHA Office of Training and Education 20
Safeguarding by Safeguarding by
Location/DistanceLocation/Distance
Locate the machine or its
dangerous moving parts
so that they are not
accessible or do not
present a hazard to a
worker during normal
operation
Maintain a safe distance
from the danger area
OSHA Office of Training and Education 21
Automatic FeedAutomatic Feed
(shown on power press)(shown on power press)
Transparent
Enclosure
Guard
Stock Feed
Roll
Danger
Area
Completed Work
OSHA Office of Training and Education 22
RobotsRobots
Machines that load and
unload stock, assemble
parts, transfer objects,
or perform other tasks
Best used in high-
production processes
requiring repeated
routines where they
prevent other hazards
to employees
OSHA Office of Training and Education 23
Protective ShieldsProtective Shields
These do not give complete protection from machine
hazards, but do provide some protection from flying
particles, splashing cutting oils, or coolants.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 24
Holding ToolsHolding Tools
Used to place and remove
stock in the danger area
Not to be used instead of
other machine safeguards,
but as a supplement
OSHA Office of Training and Education 25
Some Examples of OSHA Machine Some Examples of OSHA Machine
Guarding Requirements . . . .Guarding Requirements . . . .
OSHA Office of Training and Education 26
Guarding Fan BladesGuarding Fan Blades
When the periphery of the blades of a fan is less
than 7 feet above the floor or working level, the
blades must be guarded with a guard having
openings no larger than 1/2 inch.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 27
Abrasive Wheel MachineryAbrasive Wheel Machinery
Work rests on offhand grinding machines must be kept
adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening
of 1/8-inch to prevent the work from being jammed
between the wheel and the rest, which may result in
wheel breakage.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 28
Abrasive Wheel MachineryAbrasive Wheel Machinery
The distance between the wheel periphery and the
adjustable tongue must never exceed 1/4-inch.
OSHA Office of Training and Education 29
Power-Transmission ApparatusPower-Transmission Apparatus
Power-transmission
apparatus (shafting,
flywheels, pulleys, belts,
chain drives, etc.) less
than 7 feet from the floor
or working platform must
be guarded.
Unguarded belt
and pulley
OSHA Office of Training and Education 30
Machine Safety ResponsibilitiesMachine Safety Responsibilities
Management
Sensure all machinery is properly guarded
Supervisors
Strain employees on specific guard rules in their areas
oensure machine guards remain in place and are
functional
uimmediately correct machine guard deficiencies
Employees
Sdo not remove guards unless machine is locked and
tagged
areport machine guard problems to supervisors
immediately
udo not operate equipment unless guards are in place
OSHA Office of Training and Education 31
Training Training
Hazards associated with particular machines
How the safeguards provide protection and the hazards
for which they are intended
How and why to use the safeguards
How and when safeguards can be removed and by
whom
What to do if a safeguard is damaged, missing, or
unable to provide adequate protection
Operators should receive training on the following:
OSHA Office of Training and Education 32
SummarySummary
Safeguards are essential for protecting workers
from needless and preventable machinery-
related injuries
The point of operation, as well as all parts of the
machine that move while the machine is
working, must be safeguarded
A good rule to remember is: Any machine part,
function, or process which may cause injury
must be safeguarded